Today we launched the H.M.S. Hoover for our second foray at the north end of Hoover Reservoir. The weather was wonderful with mild temperatures, light wind and sunshine. We concentrated with the areas around White-tail Deer Island, Mudhen Marsh, the islands near the west shore, then crossed over to monitor the area along the northeast shoreline. Our prime target was locating Prothonotary Warbler territories. We located 19 new territories in the coverage area bringing the year’s number to 126 thus far. We plan to sail down the east shore next time out, a maze of more nooks and crannies than a Thomas English muffin, with territories galore if prior years are a good measure. With the perfect water levels it is adding up to another marvelous year for the PROWs. Of course PROWS are not the only birds around (I have to admit that) and we did enjoy some nice species. As soon as we launched we saw the first Yellow-billed Cuckoo and many Double Crested Cormorants (the ones that knew better and go north to the lake and meet their fate). We saw six Red-headed Woodpeckers today and this brought the breeding pairs in the preserve up to 13 found in 2013. They are doing great around the preserve which is encouraging. Great Crested Flycatchers seem to be having an extraordinary year as I have seen numbers greater than I ever remember. The Bald Eagles are doing well. An adult was at the nest with the eaglets who are as big as the parent are close to fledging. Osprey, Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles all added color to our day. A list for the day follows. Charlie Bombaci Hoover Nature Preserve SPECIES LIST Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Green Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Osprey Bald Eagle Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Chimney Swift Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren House Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Cedar Waxwing Yellow Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole American Goldfinch House Sparrow ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]